How Much Does a Cruise Cost

How Much Does A Cruise Cost?

Well, it all depends on the kind of cruise you are looking for and what you are interested in. Just like anything you may buy, whether it's a house, a car, an airline ticket or a new sofa, the products you choose depend on what's important to you. Cruises are the same way. The cost of a cruise is determined by many variable factors including:

The time of year you choose to take your cruise

How long you'd like to get away.

Where you'd like to go

The type of cruise you take

Which cruise line you like

Which ship you decide on

The type of accommodations you select

The number of people sharing your cabin

The package inclusions in addition to the cruise fare

The purpose of your trip

How many cabins you book at one time

What promotional offers are available when you make your reservation

How quickly you are able to pay for your booking once you've been quoted the rates

How old you are and the ages of your children

Where you live or where you will be flying from

If you've ever cruised before and if so, on which lines

Which agency you choose to book with

So you see, there is no simple answer to how much a cruise costs. There are a lot of things to take into consideration! And that's how we can help.

At CruiseCheap.com, we want to make sure that you choose the cruise that's right for you. So we want to get to know you a little bit. In addition to the information listed above we also want to find out what your preferences are and what's important to you. Unlike other online retailers, we want you to call us and speak to us directly. We'll take the time you need and ask all the right questions.

If you're looking for your first cruise, it's natural to want to know the price. What you'll find is that the beauty of a cruise vacation is that virtually all aspects of your trip are included. So when you compare the cost of a cruise vacation to a comparable land-based option, you'll find that a cruise is a tremendous value.

For your benefit, we have created a Cruise Vacation -versus- a Resort Vacation chart that compares cost of a very popular cruise to three equally popular land vacations. This chart will show you that dollar for dollar, nothing beats a cruise vacation.

The prices on this chart are shown per person, based on two people in a room, for a 7-night vacation stay during the off-peak travel season, specifically between November 6-13, 2004. Air travel is priced from Chicago O'Hare airport using airline Internet fares. Room accommodations are as follows:

Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort,Standard Accommodation, no Balcony (Note: unlimited Walt Disney World park admission is also included in the rate.)

The rates used in this comparison were accurate on the day they were checked and used for this comparison exercise only. It's important remember that rates can change at any time. Promotional price cuts can appear and then disappear quickly once they've been booked.

Meals for this chart are budgeted at $75 per person per day, broken down as follows: $10 for breakfast, $15 for lunch, $10 for snacks and $40 for dinner. These meal costs are conservative and may be higher in some island destinations! Cruises provide a great variety of choices all with consistently high quality cuisine; and it's included in your cruise fare.

Gambling is offered on cruise ships and in Las Vegas, but this is not considered a form of entertainment that was included on this chart. Entertainment would include lavish productions, comedy shows, live bands, discos, cover charges, piano bars, karaoke, etc.

Obviously, there are dozens of cruises and hundreds of hotels in these same destinations: some less expensive and some more costly. The seasonality of demand may also affect prices. These cruise and hotel properties were selected because they deliver a comparable experience among one another. The property comparison section of the chart shows how similar they are with respect to facilities and amenities.

Vacation Options

Property:

Carnival Triumph

Frenchman's Reef

Mandalay Bay

Caribbean Beach

Company:

Carnival

Marriott

Mandalay

Disney Vacations

Rating:

Num Rooms:

1379 Rooms

504 Rooms

3300 Rooms

2112 Rooms

Day By Day Vacation Comparison

Length of Stay:

7 Nights

7 Nights

7 Nights

7 Nights

Destination:

Caribbean

Caribbean

Las Vegas, NV

Orlando, FL

Home Airport:

Miami, FL

St. Thomas

Las Vegas, NV

Orlando, FL

Room Type:

OceanviewBalcony

Water Viewwith Balcony

City View

StandardAccommodation

Day One

Fly to Miami

Fly to St. Thomas

Fly to Vegas

Fly to Orlando

Day Two

Fun Day at Sea

St. Thomas

Las Vegas

Magic Kingdom

Day Three

San Juan

St. Thomas

Las Vegas

Epcot Center

Day Four

St. Thomas

Still in St. Thomas

Still in Las Vegas

MGM Studios

Day Five

St. Maarten

Still here

More gambling?

Animal Kingdom

Day Six

Fun Day at Sea

What's next?

More Vegas?

Water Park

Day Seven

Relaxing at Sea

What's left?

Viva Las Vegas

Walking Zombie

Day Eight

Fly Home Refreshed and Rejuvenated

So ready to fly home

I wish I were already home

Fly home to rest and recuperate

Property and Amenity Comparison

Num Rooms:

1379 Rooms

504 Rooms

3300 Rooms

2112 Rooms

Restaurants:

4

4

16

1

Bars & Lounges:

11

4

3

1

Coffee Shop:

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Snack Bar:

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

24 Hr Dining:

Yes

No

Yes

No

Nightclub:

Yes

No

Yes

No

Casino:

Yes

No

Yes

No

Show Lounge:

Yes

No

Yes

No

Pools/Hot Tubs:

11

3

2

8

Sauna/Steam:

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Spa/Salon:

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Fitness Facilities:

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Tennis Courts:

No

Yes

No

Yes

Kids Programs:

Yes

No

No

No

Baby Sitting:

Yes

No

No

No

Game Room:

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Tour Desk:

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Shops:

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Room Service:

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Meeting Rooms:

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Rate Comparison

Property:

Carnival Triumph

Frenchman's Reef

Mandalay Bay

Caribbean Beach

Company:

Carnival

Marriott

Mandalay

Disney Vacations

Room Rate:

$860

$888

$974

$929

Airfare:

$289

$462

$156

$177

Transfers:

$30

Included

Included

Included

Baggage Handling:

Included

Included

Included

Included

Meals/Snacks:

Included

$525

$525

$525

Entertainment:

Included

$50

$250

Included

Gratuities:

$75

$140

$140

$140

Taxes/Fees:

$30

$53

$31

$38

Total Per Person:

$1,284 pp

$2,118 pp

$2,076 pp

$1,809 pp

And you should also know that in addition to being affordable, cruises have a higher percentage of satisfied guests than any other vacation experience. It's difficult to match the fun, adventure, variety, comfort and quality of cruise vacation options. And when you add it all up it's easy to see why a cruise is the best value in the travel industry. Call one of our cruise experts today to plan your best vacation ever!

Notes about this comparison:

All rates are based on off-peak travel specifically for the weeks of November 6 - 13, 2004. Rates were available as of June 1, 2004 when this page was created. Rates are for this chart comparison only and may be higher or lower based on availability.

Rates can be higher or lower depending upon the dates of travel, number of people traveling, ship or resort you choose, age, loyal programs, room accommodations, transportation and a number of other factors.

Airfare rates were provided by Gogo Tours and Orbitz and include airline taxes, fees and service charges.

Approximate meal charges were estimated based on a daily meal allowance of $75 per person. $10 for Breakfast, $15 for Lunch, $10 for daily snacks, and $40 for dinner. These number are conservative and may be higher or lower depending upon guests individual dining preferences, choice of restaurant, and eating habits.

Gratuities are based on a 20% service charge on meals and miscellaneous gratuities that are extended to bellmen, sky caps, or others who perform a performance-based service.

Entertainment costs are based on a comparison to entertainment included on a cruise ship. This includes large productions, comedy shows, live bands, piano bars, cover charges, discos, etc. Disney Caribbean Beach package does include a weeklong pass to Disney World Parks.

Taxes and government fees are additional and added by the various cruise lines and properties.